Why Supervisors Envy Their Employees

Supervisors enjoy all kinds of advantages that come with their positions: they have control over resources, make important decisions, enjoy higher salaries and other valuable perks, and have opportunities to network with power-brokers both inside and outside their organizations.

Despite those distinct advantages, however, supervisors are not immune to feeling downward envy — that is, envy of the employees they oversee. This is especially true when a subordinate has strong social skills, demonstrates leadership potential, develops close relationships with senior management, or is seen as a source of innovative ideas.

Our research addresses this gap. It confirms the existence of downward envy, which we define as “the painful feeling of inferiority caused when supervisory leaders perceive that subordinates have something the supervisor desires, but lacks.” It also shows that downward envy isn’t necessarily the damaging force in the workplace that many might suspect. In fact, given the correct conditions, it can have a positive and motivating effect.

All emotions, either positive or negative, serve social functions. Envy signals a threat to self-esteem; that is, it tells an individual that they are falling short relative to others. To address that threat, and to close the gap between themselves and the person they envy, people attempt to either deprive the others of their perceived advantages (this is known as leveling down), or attempt to elevate themselves (leveling up). Which approach they choose depends in part on how they perceive the individual they envy.

Leadership literature has shown that individuals in leadership positions looking to level up can use inspirational appeals to motivate employees, develop their skills, and assist them in navigating obstacles. Those looking to level down employees, however, may use abusive supervision that can include yelling, blaming, ostracizing, and other negative tactics.

The same holds true when supervisors experience downward envy. We conducted two studies of supervisor-subordinate relationships involving employees of two companies in China — one is a management consulting company and the other a natural gas company.

Over the span of several months, supervisors completed surveys that measured their baseline self-esteem and their experience of downward envy. We then asked about their perceptions of their subordinates’ warmth, which helps us understand how a supervisor interprets an employee’s intentions. We also asked about their perceptions of their employees’ competence, which speaks to whether a supervisor believes a subordinate has ability to actually carry out their intentions. Subordinates, in turn, completed surveys that measured abusive supervision. Data on supervisory self-improvement was also collected.

We found that when supervisory leaders experienced downward envy toward subordinates they saw as competent but cold — that is, capable workers with a more aloof attitude — the leaders were more likely to use abusive supervision to try and close the gap between themselves and their subordinates. When threatened, they protect themselves by diminishing that employee’s standing. Since the supervisor is in a position of authority, they are often able to employ an abusive approach — even though it can have negative implications for them as well. Many companies have zero tolerance policies towards abuse or bullying, and violations can be damaging to one’s reputation or career.

But if a supervisor envies an employee they consider warm and competent, that supervisor is far more likely to reduce the perceived gap by improving their own performance and raising themselves up — not by pushing that employee down.

These findings have several practical implications for organizations.

First, they can help subordinates better shape their workplace behavior. Evidence suggests that people who feel envied often hide their positive qualities and avoid appearing too successful. But our research indicates that employees shouldn’t hide their talents: rather, taking a warmer, more cooperative approach may have a far more protective effect — and ultimately put them in a more enviable position.

Second, they can help business leaders understand that while downward envy can be linked with abusive supervision, those negative responses are not an inevitable outcome. Envy isn’t always “the green-eyed monster”: it can also spur healthy competition and improve performance.

As a result, organizations would be wise to train supervisors to identify and understand downward envy; to manage their emotional triggers; and to channel envy toward self-improvement options, from formal leadership training to informal learning from the envied employee.

It’s a natural tendency for people to compare themselves to others. Regardless of how accomplished we are, most of us know people in our social or work spheres who stack up better than we do, and in ways that are important to us. But leaders can channel those envious feelings into productive ends if they think objectively about the source of their envy. Do they believe the source of their envy is untrustworthy? Why? Can they make sense of why the employee acts the way he or she does? What role are their individual beliefs playing about the employee’s warmth or coldness? For leaders, putting assumptions about envied others to the test can transform a natural emotion from a source of injury to a source of personal improvement, and ultimately, organizational success.

They’re making defensive moves while waiting to see what happens.
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